Cumbest Manufacturing Co. v. Pinkney

83 So. 2d 74, 225 Miss. 318, 1955 Miss. LEXIS 587
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 7, 1955
DocketNo. 39759
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 83 So. 2d 74 (Cumbest Manufacturing Co. v. Pinkney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cumbest Manufacturing Co. v. Pinkney, 83 So. 2d 74, 225 Miss. 318, 1955 Miss. LEXIS 587 (Mich. 1955).

Opinion

Holmes, J.

Tlie appellants, Cumbest Manufacturing Company and its insurance carrier, Central Surety and Insurance Company, appeal from a judgment of the Circuit Court of Jackson County awarding to the appellee, Joe Pinkney, under the Mississippi Workmen’s Compensation Law, compensation for temporary total disability and for permanent partial disability, and for medical, doctors and hospital expenses.

The appellee, Joe Pinkney, prosecutes a cross-appeal from said judgment in so far as it denies to the appellee a penalty of ten percent on installments of compensation which were not paid within fourteen days after the same became due.

The record discloses the following uncontroversory facts: On October 23, 1952, the appellee was employed by the appellant, Cumbest Manufacturing Company, and had been so employed since prior to 1950. He was a married man, having a wife and five children who were dependent upon him for support. The employer was engaged in saw mill and logging operations and had its mill located about fifteen miles north of Pascagoula, Mississippi. On the date aforesaid, the employer was engaged in lifting logs from the log pile by the use of a steam crane and boom and swinging them around and placing them at the mill site for sawing. The appellee was engaged in tonging the logs. In the process of lifting one of the logs and swinging it in place at the mill, the log, because of insecure fastening, struck the appellant on the back of the head, inflicting serious and permanent injury. He was rendered unconscious, and when seen by his wife at the hospital shortly after the accident, was bleeding at the mouth and ears. He remained unconscious for about a month and was hospitalized for about two months and thereafter was regularly under the treatment of a doctor. Prior to his injury he was a hardworking, conscientious worker, honest and truthful, and always [322]*322on the job. His injury was compensible under the Mississippi Workmen’s Compensation Law. His weekly wage was $36.17 and bis rate of compensation for temporary total disability was $24.12 per week. Without an award be was paid compensation in the sum of $22.67 per week for the period from October 23, 1952, the date of the injury, to August 10, 1953. He should have been paid for said period $24.12 per week, and be is entitled to additional compensation in the sum of $1.45 per week for said period. He is entitled to an award of $60.00 for the expense of twelve trips to the doctor for medical treatment at $5.00 per trip. He reached bis maximum degree of recovery one year after bis injury, towit, on October 23, 1953. His hospital, nurses, doctors and medical bills amounted to $1381.78 to February 15,1954 and were paid by the appellants, as was later, the additional sum of $265.05. On August 10, 1953, the adjuster for the insurance carrier discontinued the payment of compensation to the appellee without notice to or authority from the Commission, as provided by Section 6998-19 (d), (e) of the Mississippi Code of 1942.

On application of appellee to the Mississippi Workmen’s Compensation Commission filed on May 10, 1954, the cause was listed as a controverted matter and a bearing was bad before the attorney-referee, and bis findings and order were rendered under date of June 16, 1954.

The attorney-referee found that on October 23, 1952 the appellee was employed by the appellant, Cumbest Manufacturing Company, at an average weekly wage of $36.17, and that be sustained an injury which arose out of and in the course of bis employment; that be sustained temporary total disability for the period of one year and reached bis maximum degree of recovery on October 23, 1953; that bis rate of compensation for temporary total disability was $24.12 per week; that be was paid compensation in the sum of $22.67 per week from October 23, 1952 to August 10, 1953, and is entitled to $1.45 per week additional compensation for said pe[323]*323riod; that because of his injury he has a permanent partial disability, and that his earning capacity is now $15.00 per .week, and that he is entitled to compensation for permanent partial disability at the rate of $14.11 per week beginning October 24, 1953 and continuing as long as such permanent partial disability exists, not to exceed 450 weeks; that he is entitled to $60.00 for medical expenses, and that appellant should pay all necessary doctors, drugs, surgical and hospital bills accrued in the cause to the date of the hearing, and all necessary doctors, drugs, surgical and hospital expenses that may accrue in the future as a result of the injury; that he is entitled to the ten percent penalty provided in Section 6998-19 (e) of the Mississippi Code of 1942. The attorney referee entered his order making the award in accordance with his findings.

On a review by the full Commission, the findings and order of the attorney-referee were unanimously adopted and affirmed by the Commission in all respects except the finding of the attorney-referee that appellee’s earning capacity following the date he reached his maximum degree of recovery is $15.00 per week and that his rate of compensation for permanent partial disability is $14.11 per week. On the contrary, the Commission found from the proof that appellee, following the date he reached the maximum degree of his recovery, was without earning capacity and that his rate of compensation for permanent partial disability was $24.12 per week. The Commission entered its order accordingly.

On appeal to the circuit court, th'e order of the Commission was affirmed in all respects except as to the ten percent penalty, which was denied.

Only two questions are presented on this appeal. They are: (1) The amount of compensation to be awarded the appellee for permanent partial disability beginning October 23, 1953, and (2) the liability of the employer for the ten percent penalty on all unpaid installments of compensation more than fourteen days past due.

[324]*324While conceding that the appellee is entitled to some compensation for permanent partial disability, it is contended by the appellants that there is no substantial evidence to support the findings and order of the Commission. We do not think this contention is well founded. Appellee’s disability clearly comes within the classification of “other cases” as set forth in Section 6998-09(c) (21) of the Mississippi Code of 1942, which fixes the rate of compensation for permanent partial disability at sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the difference between the averag’e weekly wages and the earning capacity in the same employment or otherwise following the date of maximum degree of recovery, not to exceed 450 weeks. The proof for the appellee clearly establishes the fact that the appellee is now without earning capacity and the Commission was fully warranted in so finding. Some seven witnesses, not including appellee himself, testified that they had known the appellee both before and after his injury; that before his injury, he was a cheerful, honest, conscientious, energetic, truthful and hardworking man; that some of them had seen him practically every day, some as often as once a week, and some not quite so often; that he was a changed man since his injury; that he was no longer cheerful; that he staggered when he walked; that his wife had to accompany him wherever he went; that he talked incoherently; that he had done no work since his injury and that he was unable to work; that his personality had changed; that he complained of pains in his head and his left side and his leg and that he complained of dizziness.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Blankenship v. Delta Pride Catfish, Inc.
676 So. 2d 914 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1996)
Tony W. Blankenship v. Delta Pride Catfish Inc
Mississippi Supreme Court, 1993
Gulf Park College v. Wheeler
113 So. 2d 666 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1959)
James F. O'Neil, Inc. v. Livings
98 So. 2d 149 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1957)
So. Engineering & Electric Co. v. Chester
83 So. 2d 811 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1955)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
83 So. 2d 74, 225 Miss. 318, 1955 Miss. LEXIS 587, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cumbest-manufacturing-co-v-pinkney-miss-1955.